


Masks

by soslash



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drunken Kissing, Halloween, Lilo Halloween Fic Exchange, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 04:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2911160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soslash/pseuds/soslash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Late entry to the HalLILOween fic exchange: Louis has a big crush on his roommate, Liam.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Masks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zouis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zouis/gifts).



> I have a laundry list of excuses to why I'm posting a Halloween fic in late December, but the point is that it didn't get written before so here it is now! Sorry there's no smut. It was late enough already, and I just can't write anything sexy to save my life. I hope you still enjoy it!

“This party is gonna be sick,” Louis says over the quiet murmurs of students in the library. His and Liam’s study group look interested. “If you don’t have a costume you can’t come… and none of that ‘I’m a movie star walking down the street’ or ‘a football player without their uniform’ bullshit.”

This is Liam and Louis’ first year sharing a flat, so it made sense they have party for the first holiday of the school year. Louis wasn’t too sure about being roommates with Liam at first, considering he’s been secretly pining over him since they first met in Psyc 101 as freshmen. However Louis’ one of the only openly gays males he knows at his small town university, and it’s not the most liberal school around. Not wanting to make himself feel more rejected by his sexuality, it was either room with all girls or room with the one person he knew he didn’t have to ask. That would be Liam.

It’s only dumb luck that the one male who understands Louis being gay doesn’t mean he wants to fuck anything with a dick is the one person Louis actually wants to fuck.

He had hoped constant exposure to Liam would help him get over his far gone crush. It didn’t; he still thinks about him when he shouldn’t, gets distracted when Li’s walking around in nothing but boxers, feels a pang of jealousy every time Liam brings a girl home.

“What do you think?” Louis hears Liam ask from the main room of their flat.

Louis peaks his head through the door of his room, as he’s still getting dressed. Liam’s standing in the middle of the room in a pair of red satin shorts and boxing gloves with his six-pack on full display. “I’m rocky!” he exclaims.

“That looks like an excuse to where practically nothing to me,” Louis says as joke, although he secretly means it.

“Well, let’s see yours then!”

Louis wriggles into the rest of his suit and grabs the mask off his bed, pulling it over his head. He steps out of the room to present his costume.

“Spider-Man, very nice,” Liam says with a nod of approval, “where’d you get a uniform like that.”

“The thrift shop down the street had a bunch of them for some reason. Was there some sort of Spider-Man convention no one told me about?”

The party slowly begins as their friends start showing up. Harry, Zayn, and Niall are always the first ones to come. Harry has a store bought banana costume on, while Zayn just wore all black and painted his face, and Niall is in his old rugby uniform. Louis would call that a cop out, but Niall is usually the life of the party. So he let’s it go.

This party, much like every party, is full of girls trying to pull Liam. Louis is used to it by now, honest to gods. He just avoids him at all costs and gets just drunk enough that he doesn’t puke or pass out.

He’s mixing himself another drink (because he isn’t quite drunk enough yet), when Liam throws an arm around him.

“Hey, mate,” Liam’s yelling, pissed out of his mind, “suppose you got a whole gang here with ya? Everyone’s wearing the same costume.”

Louis noticed quickly as people were showing up that he most definitely wasn’t the only one to find the holy grail of Spider-Man costumes at the thrift store.

“Louis’ got one on too,” Liam says.

Louis laughs under his breath, realizing that Liam thinks he’s talking to some other lad in the same costume.

“You’ve got the special one, though, don’t ya? You’re spider only has seven legs.”

Liam’s hand slides over the symbol on Louis’ chest. Louis isn’t complaining, he’s used to Liam getting touchy when he’s drunk. Although he never realized the manufacturing mistake in his outfit. It really does only have seven legs.

“Come ‘ere,” Liam says, dragging Louis into his bedroom.

Louis keeps his eyes on the crowd as he’s being lead inside. Nobody catches them escaping.

“Urgh, it’s so loud out there!” Liam slurs as he shuts them both into the room. He throws off the boxing gloves he was wearing.

Louis still doesn’t say anything, seeing how long it takes Liam to realize it’s him. He isn’t as drunk as Liam, but he’s drunk enough to grab onto Liam’s waste when the bigger lad stumbles into him.

Liam is laughing and gripping Louis’ shoulders. He leans his face in close to Louis’ ear. “You know why I wanted to talk to you?” he asks rhetorically, “I think you look the best in that tight uniform.”

The statement shocks Louis, but he can’t help but lean into Liam’s chest.

“I wanted the chance to see it up close,” he whispers as his hand glides down the small of Louis’ back, “and maybe… touch it? If that’s okay with you.”

Their bodies are as close as can get. Louis practically collapses into Liam, and Liam’s hand slides over the round of Louis’ arse, groping his right cheek. He can’t believe this is happening. It feels strange being in full costume and getting physical with your long-time crush who’s only wearing a pair of shorts. There’s nothing he can do about now though, because he’s let the opportunity to tell Liam it’s him pass. He’d probably be mad at him for letting them go this far and keeping him in the dark about who he’s coming on to.

“Everyone seems pretty busy outside,” Liam says, “wanna fool around a bit?”

Oh gods, yes, Louis thinks. How is he going to do that though? He can’t take off his costume. He doesn’t want to get fucked in a Spider-Man mask, even if it is the person he’s been pining over for two years. That’s just not right.

Liam reaches for his mask around his neck and starts rolling it up. Louis puts his hands over Liam’s before anything more than his mouth is exposed. Liam stops.

“Just like the movie, yeah?” Liam chuckles, “I think that’s pretty hot.”

Louis breaths out silent sigh of relief. In part because he’s glad Liam isn’t going to convince him to show his face, but also because it’s hard to breath under that thing. His breath cut off, however, by Liam’s lips on his.

His heart stops for a moment then speeds back up at a mile a minute. It’s finally happening, the one thing he never expected but always wanted. Is he dreaming? Is he hallucinating? Did someone slip something in his drink? It feels too real though, their bodies pressing together and tongues sliding against each other. Liam is a really good kisser.

They fall back onto the bed. Liam flips him onto his stomach. He starts kissing his neck and running his hands up and down his sides.

Louis can’t help but give in to it. It isn’t until he feels Liam tug at the zipper on the back of his suit, that he flinches and sits up. He pulls the mask back down to his neck.

“Did I do something?” Liam asks, sounding worried.

Louis doesn’t quite know what to do now. He shakes his head, wanting to brush it off and go back how they were. The costume just can’t come off.

Now that the mask is back over his mouth, he can smell the tequila on his own breath. He gets the idea and makes and a drinking gesture with his hand.

Liam sighs without questioning why he doesn’t speak (which is what Louis is afraid he’s going to do eventually). “You’re right,” he says. He crawls up the bed until he’s hovering over Louis. They’re faces are close, and Liam leans into Louis’ covered ear. “You’re just so irresistible though,” he hums, “you want to stay in here for bit until we sober up?”

Just as the words fall out of Liam’s mouth, he leans over the edge of the bed and vomits on the floor. He apologized, and Louis takes that as an excuse to leave. He feels bad for ditching when he could help, especially when Liam is probably embarrassed. He could give in, but it’s a messege from the universe not to fuck your roommate in Louis’ mind.

So he carefully leaves the room, not wanting anyone see him. Then he takes off his mask and waits a few minutes before going back in and pretending like he just happen to be checking on Liam.

Liam’s laying diagonal in his bed with his arms over his face. Louis cringes at the mess just below his nightstand. “Li, you gonna be okay?” he asks.

A low groan sounds from Liam’s throat. Louis steps out for a moment to grab the bottle seltzer water from the fridge. He comes back and sits on the bed, handing it to Liam.

As Liam’s eyes open again, Louis flinches and crosses his arms over his chest to hide the seven-legged symbol.

“How’d you know I was in here?” Liam asks.

“Just a guess. I hadn’t seen you in a while.”

Louis starts to question if everything that just happened was some kind of fantasy his mind created. If maybe he’s thought about fucking Liam so much that it’s becoming real to him.

“So,” Louis starts awkwardly, “what were you doing in here. You know, before you puked.”

“Trying to get lucky,” Liam admits, which almost makes Louis think he’s about to share how he just made out with guy (even if he doesn’t know it was Louis), “you should have seen this girl, Lou.”

And there it is.

“She wouldn’t even say anything or take off her mask, but she had the hottest body you’ll ever see.” Louis curls further into his poor posture. “And lips that I could’ve kissed all damn night. But of course I had to hurl, and she ran out. Probably left the party.”

“What was her costume? Maybe I know who she was.” It’s not that Louis wants to trap Liam, but he hates that he’s lying there spewing all this about a ‘girl’ when he knows Liam was about to willingly have sex with a man he couldn’t even identify.

“Um, it wasn’t anything in particular. It’s hard to explain. You don’t know her.”

Louis could ask more questions. He could dig Liam into a hole until he’s forced to tell the truth. Hell, he could tell Liam it was him. But he doesn’t. He leaves him tucked into his bed and waits for everyone to leave his house, unable to take his mind off of what happened.

When he wakes up the next morning, his hangover falls heavy on him. After laying in bed for a long while, he drags his body into the kitchen to get some water. Liam still isn’t awake which isn’t a surprise. As he’s making himself eggs, bacon, and toast, he decides to make extra for him.

He taps lightly on the door and let’s himself in. It’s easy to tell Liam is awake but not up. “I made some hangover food,” he says quietly, “feeling any better?”

Liam doesn’t move but cracks a slight smile. “No, but my roommate cooking for me will probably help.”

Louis smiles, and sets one of the two plates on the night stand. There’s a towel over where Liam got sick last night, showing that he probably tried to clean it but gave up quickly.

“I need it almost as much as you do,” Louis claims, “I got pretty shit faced myself.”

The two of them sit on Liam’s bed, Liam eventually pulling himself up to an upright position to eat. Louis keeps putting off what wants to mention, and it takes him until the last couple bite of breakfast to do it.

“Do you remember anything from last night?” he asks, “like, did you do anything out of the ordinary?”

“Nah, nothing weird,” Liam shakes his head, “although I only remember bits and pieces. But Lou, I told you about the fit girl I was getting on with last night right?. Too bad I upchucked right before things went anywhere. She probably won’t be coming back.”

Louis doesn’t really know what to think of his story. He wants to say something about it, but he can’t. He just can’t.

“Totally unrelated,” Liam starts, “but do you know who else was wearing those other Spider-Man costumes?”

Louis would laugh at the obviousness of Liam’s questions if he wasn’t so uncomfortable with the situation.

“Don’t know,” he says, “there was a lot of them. Next time I’ll need to pick a costume besides the one I found in a tub of matching ones.”

“Except one of them had a spider with seven legs, right? I guess I just noticed randomly,” Liam shrugs trying to make it sound like casual conversation. “Do you know who had that one?”

Louis thinks for a moment about what to say, then he settles for, “I don’t know. S’pose I didn’t notice.”

With their plates set aside, the two of them lean back on Liam’s pillows chatting. Louis directs the conversation away from the party, although he can’t stop thinking about it. If Liam wasn’t so obvious in his stories about last night, Louis would have convinced himself by now that it was all very vivid dream.

“I have to use the toilet,” Liam announces as he pulls his body out of the bed. It’s obvious he’s struggling through his hangover.

Louis hears him coming out of the bathroom, and expects him to reenter the room any second now. Liam doesn’t come back for a couple of minutes though. He gets up from the bed, and looks to see what’s stopped his roommate from coming back right away.

The door to his own bedroom is open, and Liam is standing a few steps inside. When Louis looks to see what it is he’s staring at, he isn’t surprised but he freezes where he is.

“Seven legs,” Liam says, running his hand over the cheap costume material, “and don’t try to tell me that you don’t remember last night, because I know that you at least remember more than me.” His face scrunches up, and he grabs a fist full of hair.

Louis stands still and watches Liam, looking as if he’s being tortured from the inside.

“Why didn’t you say something?” he says harshly, “fuck, why didn’t you stop me last night.”

“Well you didn’t bother to tell me you’ve been shagging lads,” Louis defends himself.

“How do you know this wasn’t the first time I’ve come onto a guy? It was a drunken coincidence that it was you.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “You had no problem telling me about your almost-hookup when you thought I’d believe it was a girl, and it sounded an awful lot like your other ones.”

Liam sits down on Louis’ bed. He puts his head in his hands. “Fuck, how could this happen…”

“You know, this isn’t just shitty for you Liam,” Louis says.

“You’re already out, Louis. How could this be bad for you.”

“Oh I don’t know,” Louis starts sarcastically, “maybe it’s not awesome to have your roommate try and fuck you and then act like nothing happened the next day. Do you think I care if you’re gay Liam? Or do you think I’m gonna go and tell everyone? After what happened to me?”

“I was hiding it so well I guess. I knew once I told someone, anyone, that their was no going back. And I didn’t want you to think the only reason I’ve stayed friends with you was because I liked you.”

“Like me?” Louis says, distracted by Liam’s last couple words.

“Stupid, right?” he says, “I didn’t want it to be weird with the two of us living in the same flat. S’pose I messed that up when I tried to seduce you.”

Louis shrugs and smirks at Liam. “I was mad you didn’t tell me, not the fact that you came onto me. I went along with it, didn’t I?”

Liam buries his face in his hands and fall back on the bed with an ugh sound. “Tell me, how far would you have let me go if I hadn’t almost puked on you.”

“Well you were too drunk to recognize your own flatmate, so I probably should have stopped you before we even kissed… but I was almost as drunk as you, so I might have let you go as far as you could without realizing it was me.”

Liam moves his hands from his face and looks up from Louis who’s hovering over him. “So you really weren’t that appalled with me for coming onto you?”

“Do you really like me?” Louis asks, holding his face close to Liams.

“Yeah,” Liam smiles, “yeah, I do.”

“Then I like you too.”


End file.
